Whatever may come the next days weeks and months, Oak Bay mourns the loss of two little girls.

In the wake of their deaths discovered Christmas Day, the community conversation surrounded the sorrow of a family.

Then we learned a little about them.

A friend of the family said they were “lively, energetic, and silly girls.”

Chloe was in Grade 1 at Christ Church Cathedral School and had recently fallen in love with horseback riding.

Aubrey was in her last year of preschool at St. Christopher’s Montessori School, making that transition from toddler to little girl.

Both girls were artistic and loved to draw but were also balls of energy that enjoyed spending time at Willows Beach.

And as a community we mourned again. For young lives not lived and their mother’s pain. Oak Bay and beyond reacted with heartache and cautious action.

The community worried about the first responders who worked Christmas Day.

“While our focus and that of the community needs to be on the loved ones who are suffering such a devastating loss as well as the greater impact within our community,” the deputy chief told us, promising the department will take care of its own, and the community promised to help with food, flowers, whatever it could.

Counsellors quickly offered free services for parents forced to tell their young children horrible news at a magical time of year.

Christ Church Cathedral opened its doors Wednesday to hundreds of community members, friends and classmates who went to school with Chloe and Aubrey.

Victoria Coun. Chris Coleman, acting as liaison to the media assembled outside asked reporters to respect the wishes of mourners.

“They’re processing something so unimaginable,” he said.

Residents worried about how to most respectfully mark the lives of Chloe and Aubrey.

Oak Bay responded with a candlelight vigil planned for this Saturday night (Dec. 30) at Willows Beach that will hopefully be the start of the healing process.